Various postal services and private carrier services throughout the world have developed rate tables for mail and parcels. These rate tables specify the rate for any given mail piece (hereinafter intended to include parcels and other mailable items as well).
The rating may involve the desired class of service, such as first class or third class mail in the United States, the weight of the mail, the size of the mail, the distance of which the mail is to be sent, the level of service such as Express Mail involving delivery the next day, and/or a discount associated with a level of work sharing. Each postal service and each private carrier service usually establish their own rate tables for mail and parcels. Postal service as used herein is intended to apply equally and mean both governmental or other postal services and also private carrier services. Similarly, postal value as used herein are intended to apply equally and mean both governmental or other postal values and also private carrier service delivery charge and other values.
To facilitate a mailer applying proper postage or other charges (such as, for example, insurance or certified delivery or return receipt, etc.) to a mail piece or to a tape to be adhered to a mail piece, various devices have been provided such as scales which include rate tables to provide a visual indication to the user of the appropriate postage for the given mail piece to be deposited with the postal service. In some instances, these weighing devices having rating tables allow for the automatic setting of the postage meter print wheels wherein the scale includes a connection to an electronic postage meter and conveys setting information. This now enables a more rapid printing of postage and processing of the mail. One example of such a system is the Pitney Bowes PARAGON mailing system wherein mail is weighed and the postage meter print wheels automatically set for imprinting of the proper postage on a mail piece. Another system such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,920 for POSTAGE ACCOUNTING DEVICE provides a secure accounting unit with a memory including, a rate charge of postage rates for different classes of mail. Yet another system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,533 for FRANKING MACHINE wherein rate tables are stored in a meter and are employed to set the printing mechanism to a desired amount.
It has been recognized that a mail piece may be imprinted with an improper postage amount. This can be due to a number of different factors such as the utilization of a wrong rate table, the utilization of an obsolete rate table, on the input of inaccurate data for the rating process. One example would be the input of an incorrect size of the mail piece (where the size of the mail piece is a rating factor).